Sixteen of the world's top professional snowboarders, including Shaun White, will compete today in the Red Bull Snowscrapers, billed as "the largest urban snowboard event in North America," according to Matt Higgins of the N.Y. TIMES. The event's ramp in East River Park in lower Manhattan is "nine stories tall and 150 yards long" and "required more than 100 workers to build." All 16 riders "will attempt their best tricks during an hourlong jam format," and the "top eight advance to a final." A panel of judges "will rate the best moves and style," and the winner "will get $50,000 of a $100,000 purse." Admission is free and the event will also be broadcast live on MSG Network and replayed on NBC on Feb. 15. Red Bull Snowscrapers Producer Jack Fleming put the cost of staging the event in the "high six figures." Higgins notes for those "planning new events, going big, especially on television, is seen as a way to increase an audience for a sport seldom seen outside of the Olympics or X Games." Fleming said the event "is super important for us, good for the people of New York and good for the sport of snowboarding" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/5). Fleming: "We're trying to bring the mountains to the city. It's going to be a chance to see these athletes up close and personal right here in New York City" (N.Y. POST, 2/4). White promoted the event on ABC’s “GMA” this morning, saying it is “going to be pretty wild.” White: “I am excited to just snowboard in the city. It’s unreal. I mean look at this background. We don’t really see stuff like this too often” (“GMA,” ABC, 2/5).

GO BIG OR GO HOME: White appeared on Fox Business last night and discussed his new Ubisoft videogame “Shaun White Snowboarding.” White said, “It wasn’t like a big plan (where) I set out to do a game and all these things. I had been in videogames before and it didn’t work out the right way.” White said his previous videogame experience did not work well because he “didn’t have any input.” White: “You just kind of gave them your name, and so my character had some awkward orange fro’ … and I didn’t agree with the graphics and the game or anything. So I sat back and was like, ‘I’m not going to do another deal until I can really focus and do my own game.’” White: “I honestly said no to about four offers before we actually signed with Ubisoft” (“America’s Nightly Scoreboard,” Fox Business, 2/4).